Again by memory from Barry Raftery's talk: bogs were "paved" by light planks
of locally sourced wood, which would sort of float well enough to bear the
relatively light chariots. I don't know how heavily laden carts would fare.
For the unfinished 2nd-century Corlea Trackway in County Longford, which
Raftery excavated, the workers ignorantly used thick oak planks, which sank.
I asked Raftery and folklorist Dáithí Ó hÓgáin if that was the road built by
Midir to settle a fidchell win by King Eochaid in the Midir and Étaín tale,
and both said they were about 80% sure it was. The story says that Eochaid's
people spied on the building of the road against Midir's express wishes, and
that's why he didn't finish the road. The road in the story seems to be
located exactly where the Corlea Trackway is. As a humble storyteller with
no academic reputation at risk, I'm 100% sure they're the same.
Richard Marsh
Dublin
-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Simmonds
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2018 6:39 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [OLD-IRISH-L] Welsh Chariot Burial
apologies for repeating this question, but last time no-one could give a
satisfactory answer
I often wonder how could chariots be effectively used in the conditions
that obtained in Iron Age Ireland or Britain? (absence of roads and
bridges, woods, boggy land)...it must have been something of a
logistical challenge even to get your chariot from A to B, even it was
relatively light because it was made of wickerwork; furthermore, the
horse collar and harness did not come into widespread use in Europe
until the 12th century, so presumably the horses drew the chariot with a
kind of yoke, which is not very efficient
perhaps battles involving chariots took place on specially prepared
fields, a bit like "away matches" on football pitches?
CS
Am 22.11.2018 um 19:07 schrieb Máire Nig Ualghairg:
> The chariot may deteriorate quickly but the metal work you would
> expect in a chariot burial would be expected to survive. This one is
> the first that has been found in this area and it is, if I remember
> correctly, a custom normally associated with the Parisi in Yorkshire
> (and, coincidentally with the Parisi in the area around what is now
> Paris). This has been found in Pembrokeshire which is quite a distance
> away from the Parisi and would have been in the territory of the
> Demetae (Dyfed) - it's all very exciting and I would love to know
> where they have found it but, naturally, they aren't releasing the
> exact location.
>
> Máire
> On Thu, 22 Nov 2018 at 18:00, Richard Marsh
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> By memory from a talk by the late wetlands specialist archaeologist Barry
>> Raftery: remains of roads designed for chariot traffic have been found in
>> Ireland. Also bits for chariot horses. He said he knew they were for
>> pairs
>> of chariot horses because only one side was decorated, as only one side
>> would be seen. Irish chariots were made of wicker, which quickly
>> dissolved
>> in soil, so none have been found. I don't know what he may have published
>> on
>> the subject.
>>
>> Richard Marsh
>> Dublin
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Tom Smith
>> Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2018 12:51 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: [OLD-IRISH-L] Welsh Chariot Burial
>>
>> This was found in Pembrokeshire, which is very close to Wexford. Why have
>> none been found in Ireland? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46294000=
>>
>>
>> ---
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